{
  "slug": "usda",
  "register": {
    "slug": "usda",
    "name": "Department of Agriculture",
    "local_name": null,
    "abbr": "USDA",
    "jurisdiction": "federal",
    "state": "DC",
    "state_name": "District of Columbia",
    "country": null,
    "country_code": null,
    "category": "agriculture",
    "agency_type": "cabinet_department",
    "parent": null,
    "parent_name": null,
    "url": "https://aletheca.com/agencies/usda",
    "website": null,
    "reading_room": "https://www.usda.gov/foia/reading-room",
    "subject_to_foia": true,
    "law": {
      "id": "federal-foia",
      "citation": "5 U.S.C. § 552",
      "statutory_days": 20,
      "business_days": true,
      "appeal_deadline_days": 90
    },
    "intake": [
      {
        "channel": "portal",
        "detail": "https://www.foia.gov/agency-search.html",
        "label": "National FOIA Portal",
        "verified": true,
        "verification": "verified",
        "verification_source": "National FOIA Portal, HTTP 200 check 2026-09-03",
        "last_checked": "2026-09-03",
        "automatable": false,
        "preferred": true,
        "reliability": "high",
        "instructions": "File via the National FOIA Portal agency search (verified live); select this agency to route."
      },
      {
        "channel": "email",
        "detail": "usdafoia@usda.gov",
        "label": "Email",
        "verified": false,
        "verification": "unverified",
        "verification_source": "carried over; mailbox never confirmed",
        "last_checked": "2026-09-03",
        "automatable": false,
        "preferred": false,
        "reliability": "medium",
        "instructions": "Email with 'FOIA Request' in subject line; include fee waiver language."
      },
      {
        "channel": "mail",
        "detail": "Department of Agriculture FOIA Office, FOIA Requester Service Center, Washington DC 20208",
        "label": "Postal Mail",
        "verified": false,
        "verification": "unverified",
        "verification_source": "address never confirmed; use certified mail",
        "last_checked": "2026-09-03",
        "automatable": false,
        "preferred": false,
        "reliability": "medium",
        "instructions": "Certified mail with return receipt recommended for paper-first offices."
      }
    ],
    "submission_readiness": {
      "status": "actionable",
      "verified_channels": [
        "portal"
      ],
      "domain_verified_channels": [],
      "automatable_channels": [],
      "recommended_channel": "portal",
      "checked_at": "2026-09-03",
      "notes": "Route via recommended_channel; confirm endpoint before bulk filing."
    },
    "holdings": [
      "budget",
      "policy",
      "contracts",
      "grants",
      "correspondence",
      "reports"
    ],
    "tips": [
      "Be specific on date range and custodians",
      "Cite public-interest fee waiver and news-media status if applicable",
      "Request Vaughn index for withholdings",
      "Ask for rolling release"
    ],
    "tracking": "Agency tracking number via acknowledgement letter; check PAL or agency portal.",
    "confidence": "high",
    "source": "Imported from AlethecaData. Institutions are real; contact routes are inferred unless marked verified. See /coverage."
  },
  "scorecard": null,
  "components": [
    {
      "slug": "ars",
      "name": "Agricultural Research Service",
      "abbr": "ARS"
    },
    {
      "slug": "aphis",
      "name": "Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service",
      "abbr": "APHIS"
    },
    {
      "slug": "aphis-1",
      "name": "Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (additional component)",
      "abbr": "APHIS"
    },
    {
      "slug": "fsa",
      "name": "Farm Service Agency",
      "abbr": "FSA"
    },
    {
      "slug": "fns",
      "name": "Food and Nutrition Service",
      "abbr": "FNS"
    },
    {
      "slug": "fsis",
      "name": "Food Safety and Inspection Service",
      "abbr": "FSIS"
    },
    {
      "slug": "fs",
      "name": "Forest Service",
      "abbr": "FS"
    },
    {
      "slug": "nass",
      "name": "National Agricultural Statistics Service",
      "abbr": "NASS"
    },
    {
      "slug": "nrcs",
      "name": "Natural Resources Conservation Service",
      "abbr": "NRCS"
    },
    {
      "slug": "oig-4",
      "name": "OIG — Department of Agriculture",
      "abbr": "OIG"
    },
    {
      "slug": "rma",
      "name": "Risk Management Agency",
      "abbr": "RMA"
    },
    {
      "slug": "rd",
      "name": "Rural Development",
      "abbr": "RD"
    }
  ],
  "requests": []
}